


what we fear the most

by clokcwork_dragon



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Budding Love, Denial of Feelings, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, seteth and rhea mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:01:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26341555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clokcwork_dragon/pseuds/clokcwork_dragon
Summary: During one of her sleepless nights, Edelgard hears Flayn scream. She doesn't want to get close to her enemy, but the heart wants what the heart wants, and besides she can't very well leave Flayn alone and crying, can she?Sometimes, shared wounds make for bonding even with the most unlikely people.
Relationships: Flayn/Edelgard von Hresvelg
Comments: 4
Kudos: 35





	what we fear the most

**Author's Note:**

> I realised Edelflayn would be one hell of an adorable ship and now i'm neck-deep in it. Oops!
> 
> I've taken a break from all my multichapters for mental health reasons, but rest assured I have not abandoned them. Take this as practice and an excuse to be gayTM. 
> 
> (Flayn hasn't been abducted yet but she's a student in the BE house and Seteth is the BE professor. Kind of part of my Emerald Flame route universe?)

Edelgard couldn’t seem to fall asleep; too often plagued by nightmares of the past, and of monsters created not inside her head but inside the cells beneath the Imperial Palace. So most nights, she walked through the quiet, ancient halls of the monastery grounds instead. Sometimes she visited the pond and gazed at the calming moon, while others she plainly paced up and down the dormitories, making sure the rest of the Black Eagles were safely asleep in their beds. Nothing but routine for her.

However it was one of those times that her routine was disturbed, when she heard a scream that wasn’t her own, echoing down the halls. The sound seemed to echo through the entire building; a wail of absolute terror.

Alert, Edelgard ran towards the direction of the sound, coming from a room close to the staircase that leads from the third to the second floor. All her senses were on edge already, and her mind raced with the possibilities- a spot accessible by any evildoer who might want to harm the inhabitant of the room. Or perhaps someone had snuck through the window? The high-pitched scream belonged to a girl sounding so distressed, that it wouldn’t surprise Edelgard if the cause was a real threat like some kind of monster, straight out of a horror story. Come to think of it, Ashe, Lysithea and Mercedes had been keenly persuaded that the monastery was haunted by malevolent spirits. She’d scorned at the thought, but now she couldn’t help but think; _what if they were right?_

Not even for a moment did she stop to consider that perhaps, other students might have nightmares just like hers. No, that possibility was dismissed before it even appeared; it could be too naïve a conclusion, and any delay on her part would place the victim in further, perhaps lethal, danger. The incident called for quick action.

Edelgard slammed onto the door with her entire might, and even amidst the rush of adrenaline some part of her brain registered that the lock shattered under her weight, and the door flung itself open unrestrained. The following heartbeat she was stumbling inside the room with her fists raised, ready to face the assailant with her bare hands if needed.

But there was no such assailant. All she saw is Flayn, tangled up between her blankets with her back against the wall, staring at her as if _she_ was the source of her peril. Edelgard straightened up, and it was only at that moment that it dawned on her, that perhaps Flayn wasn’t being threatened by any real enemy.

The girls blinked for a moment, staring at each other.

“E-E-Edelgard…?” Flayn asked meekly, her voice still quivering. The House Leader cleared her throat.

“I’m sorry, Flayn. I heard you scream, and assumed something was wrong. I see that you’re perfectly safe.” Well, something clearly _was_ wrong, for the girl to be crying out like that and looking so terribly panicked. But that was not what Edelgard meant, and it seemed that Flayn understood what was left unsaid anyway.

“Y-Yes. It appears I am.”

Flayn looked away, and seemed to shrink further into her bedsheets as she brought her knees up to her chest. Even in that position, Edelgard was able to see the slight blush that crept upon her pale cheeks.

“I’m terribly sorry that I disturbed your sleep. You may go, I-I’ll be fine.”

Edelgard sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. “You will not get rid of me so easily. There must be a reason for your screaming.”

Under any other circumstances, she wouldn’t have pried. But somehow, she couldn’t bring herself to turn away and leave the girl (if she could call Flayn that, with the knowledge of what she truly was). Besides, Flayn was a member of the Black Eagle house, and Edelgard liked to believe she’d do the same for any of the students under her jurisdiction.

Flayn still didn’t look her way, still seeming on edge.

“I… was having a nightmare.” She said softly, almost as if she was too ashamed to admit it. Edelgard felt her breath catch just for a second- the familiar pang in her chest, a sense of companionship between her and Flayn. It made sense, of course, that she wouldn’t be the only person in the entirety of Garreg Mach to be plagued by bad dreams.

“I see.” She replied, her voice softening as she took a brisk step towards the other girl’s bed. “Would you like me to call your brother?”

Seteth wouldn’t be too happy to be roused at such an unholy hour, but she was certain there was nothing he wouldn’t do for Flayn. However, the green-haired girl just shook her head.

“N-No.” She murmured. “He’s been tiring himself so much… and I do not want to further his worries.”

Edelgard nodded, humming thoughtfully to herself. It would be so easy to just turn and leave. After all, she felt nothing for Flayn- even if she was under her protection, she was still one of the monsters that enslaved Fodlan’s people. She and her brother both. She shouldn’t care about what happened to her.

…and yet, she couldn’t help but think. Had she been in Flayn’s shoes, wouldn’t have liked somebody to sit with her? To comfort her? The answer was easy- of course she would. In fact, she wanted that every night that she woke up alone, drenched in cold sweat, with the horrors of her dreams still pursuing her in the real world. How had she longed for a warm, comforting presence during those dark hours…

Biting back all hesitation, Edelgard crossed the rest of the space and gingerly sat at the edge of the bed. Flayn looked at her, her doe’s eyes wide with surprise and confusion.

“Would you like some company, then?” Edelgard asked softly. “I can’t sleep either. So, if you want, I can stay with you.”

Flayn seemed disbelieving at first, as if she expected this all to be a cruel joke played at her expense. It stung a bit; did she truly come off that indifferent? She really did care for her classmates, and even if Flayn was her fated enemy, she was still young. Or… well, young for her species’ standards.

“I… would like that, yes.” Flayn admitted after a short pause, and she turned her body around to face Edelgard. She even pulled the blanket back from her head, though she kept it wrapped snug around her shoulders. “Why can’t you sleep, Edelgard?”

“Believe it or not I have nightmares, just like you do.” She sighed, leaning back against the wall now that Flayn seemed a bit more comfortable with them sitting side by side. It still felt weird, but she could play pretend for a little while.

“You do too?” Flayn looked somewhat surprised. “What do you have to fear? You’re… very strong. And brave.”

Was the blush across Flayn’s cheeks growing more obvious? Or was it only out of hidden contempt for praising a human like her? Most importantly- why did Edelgard want it to be something else?

She shook her head a little, trying to clear her mind. “We all have our demons, don’t you think? I have been through harsh times, and even an Imperial Princess can harbour hidden fears.”

The other girl’s lips quirked into a small, understanding smile. “I suppose that’s true. Do you… Do you feel like you can’t run from what scares you, Edelgard?”

“No, I don’t.” It was quite the honest answer. “I have put the past behind me. Even if it still hurts, it’s made me who I am, and I am determined to carve my own path.”

It was true, indeed. She no longer feared those who had hurt her. She knew they wouldn’t be able to catch her again, to turn her into their experiment; she had grown strong, and she wouldn’t let them lay a hand on her again. It was only the result of the past, that still shone like a hellish beacon in her nightmares. The past, and the deaths it had left behind. Her own death, too, awaiting her way too soon.

Flayn seem intrigued by the answer, nonetheless. She ran a hand through her messy curls, looking down at her crossed legs.

“It’s as I said. You _are_ very strong. I wish I could be like you.”

The question came almost out of nowhere, and when it did, Edelgard couldn’t believe she had asked it. “What are you afraid of, Flayn?”

Perhaps it had been the wrong thing to say, because Flayn’s body tensed like a bowstring drawn taut, and her hands gripped the sheets until her knuckles turned white.

“The… The ones who hunt me. Who have always hunted me, and my- my brother. They want to kill us. Or… Or worse.” Her eyes filled with unabashed tears, and for a moment Edelgard felt like the worst person in the entire world.

“They’re the ones who took my mother…” Flayn continued in a shaky voice “the ones who- who took everyone away! My sister, too… and I still see their faces, and their blades, and I-I hear them laugh as they take me and my brother apart… as they take my heart and my soul and turn me into-“

She didn’t continue. Instead she lifted her knees again, hid her face in them and started bawling; violent, racking sobs that shook her whole, even as no real sound came out of her mouth, other than chocked, rushed breaths.

Edelgard wasn’t entirely sure of what to do. What was Flayn even talking about? Wasn’t she and her kind the ones that hurt and maimed and destroyed? Why would she act like the victim all of a sudden? What would scare her so, that would reduce her to this mess? And again- why was Edelgard _hurting for her?_

“Flayn.” Edelgard placed her hand gently on the green-haired girl’s trembling shoulder. Strangely, she felt no disgust- nothing like the surge of hatred she had expected to experience. “Listen to me. Please stop crying, alright?”

Flayn looked up, her face smeared with tears as her lower lip wobbled. Edelgard found herself smoothing the girl’s bangs back in a comforting gesture.

“We may not have known each other for long. But I am the head of the Eagles, and you’re one of us. I will make sure nobody ever harms you, but I need you to try and calm down. Do you understand?”

Flayn’s eyes were still wide and wet, but as Edelgard petted her head gently, her shoulders relaxed and she stopped shaking. She gave a slow nod.

“Th-Thank you.” She hiccupped. “I’m so sorry… for acting like a child.”

Edelgard shook her head a little. “That’s quite alright. Sometimes fear gets the best of us. What’s important is that we learn to leash it, and not let it take control.”

“How do you manage that?”

“I think… in your case, training to be stronger would put your mind at ease. When you’re strong, they cannot reach you.”

Bold words coming from the one who planned on eradicating her, her brother and her aunt, from Fodlan. Suddenly, however, the thought didn’t seem as appealing. While Rhea remained the enemy, what had Seteth and Flayn done to deserve such brutal endings? She’d witnessed it herself, after all, that Flayn was being treated like a child, and that Rhea never listened to Seteth. Were they really to blame for what horrors the Immaculate One unleashed upon Fodlan?

Flayn interrupted her thought process by surprising her with laying her head against her arm. Edelgard jolted a little, confused- did… did Flayn trust her so? Or was she perhaps just exhausted and ready to fall back asleep?

“I want to be as strong as you are.” The girl whispered. “Will you offer me your guidance?”

Her guidance? Only the dead knew what need might a dragon, however young, have of her guidance. But Flayn’s innocent optimism was getting the best of her, it seemed. Whatever that meant, she supposed it didn’t matter for now. Her mind was already tired enough.

“I will try to.” Was all she replied. “But for now, you should sleep. We wouldn’t want Professor Seteth to notice we’ve been fooling around all night.”

To white-haired girl’s surprise, Flayn giggled sleepily. “Indeed, we’d never hear the end of it. But… Edelgard?”

Flayn looked up at the princess, her face taking on that embarrassed pink hue again. “Would… Would it be alright if I asked you to stay here with me?”

Edelgard blinked, her mind momentarily unable to process the question. Did Flayn really want her to stay? In the same room? In the same bed nonetheless? Surely there would be some regulation against that… and whyever would Flayn think her to be so trustworthy?

Maybe this was a ploy. Maybe all of this was but one of Rhea’s dirty schemes, meant to bring a human’s guard down. Playing upon her sensitivities.

Still, Edelgard found herself nodding, albeit hesitantly so.

“Very well, I’ll keep you company. But… don’t tell anyone, alright?” She smiled a little, despite herself. “It would ruin my stone-cold reputation.”

Flayn let out another small giggle, and Edelgard noticed, for the first time, that the sound was quite adorable. It was her turn to blush at the thought, but thankfully it went unnoticed.

“I’ll keep it a secret, I swear it upon the Saints.” She wiggled around, burying herself in her makeshift nest of blankets again. When she decided she was warm and comfortable, she lay her head on Edelgard’s lap, who still sat cross-legged against the wall.

“Goodnight, Edelgard.” Flayn whispered, her eyes already closed and missing the brilliant red hue that had overtaken Edelgard’s face. The Imperial Princess swallowed hard, then gently, almost afraid, placed her bare hand on the top of Flayn’s head.

“Goodnight to you too, Flayn. Sweet dreams.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is unbeta-ed but I hope there aren't any horrible mistakes in it. If you enjoyed it, please consider leaving a kudos and maybe a comment! And tell me if you'd like more Edelflaynn content in the future. 
> 
> @flaythleann on twitter.


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